English Meaning & Definitions
Uncalled for; lacking any good reason or justification; unwarranted.
- “The film was criticized for its excessive and gratuitous violence.”
- “She took offense at his gratuitous insult during the meeting.”
Given or done free of charge; voluntary.
- “The organization provided gratuitous legal advice to low-income families.”
- “He offered his services on a completely gratuitous basis.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “gratuitous”.
Derived from the Latin 'gratuitus' meaning 'done gratis, free, spontaneous,' from 'gratus' meaning 'pleasing, thankful.' Over time, the meaning shifted from something given freely or without charge to something provided without good reason, cause, or justification.
Think of the root 'gratu-' (like 'gratis' or 'free'): something given for free when it wasn't needed.
Frequently Asked Questions About “gratuitous”
1. What is the meaning of “gratuitous” in English?
In English, gratuitous (adjective) is defined as: “Uncalled for; lacking any good reason or justification; unwarranted.”.
2. How do you use “gratuitous” in a sentence?
“The film was criticized for its excessive and gratuitous violence.”
3. What are English synonyms of “gratuitous”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “gratuitous”?
Derived from the Latin 'gratuitus' meaning 'done gratis, free, spontaneous,' from 'gratus' meaning 'pleasing, thankful.' Over time, the meaning shifted from something given freely or without charge to something provided without good reason, cause, or justification.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.